Special Relativity
From Einstein to Strings

Thorough and pedagogical introduction to special relativity and related topics, with companion CD-ROM.

Patricia M. Schwarz (Author), John H. Schwarz (Author)

9780521812603, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 March 2004

388 pages, 39 b/w illus. 2 tables 144 exercises
25.5 x 17.9 x 2.5 cm, 0.963 kg

'What is particularly commendable is the hands-on exercises in the earlier chapters that try to instil an intuitive feeling for the difficult concepts. … This book is ambitious in its scope to introduce concepts from differential geometry to a wide audience including second year undergraduates. … The book is particularly readable and anyone keen on being introduced to the concepts that have been influenced by special relativity will find this valuable.' Contemporary Physics

This book provides a thorough introduction to Einstein's special theory of relativity, suitable for anyone with a minimum of one year's university physics with calculus. It is divided into fundamental and advanced topics. The first section starts by recalling the Pythagorean rule and its relation to the geometry of space, then covers every aspect of special relativity, including the history. The second section covers the impact of relativity in quantum theory, with an introduction to relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. It also goes over the group theory of the Lorentz group, a simple introduction to supersymmetry, and ends with cutting-edge topics such as general relativity, the standard model of elementary particles and its extensions, superstring theory, and a survey of important unsolved problems. Each chapter comes with a set of exercises. The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM illustrating, through interactive animation, classic problems in relativity involving motion.

Preface
Part I. Fundamentals: 1. From Pythagoras to spacetime geometry
2. Light surprises everyone
3. Elements of spacetime geometry
4. Mechanics in spacetime
5. Spacetime physics of fields
6. Causality and relativity
Part II. Advanced Topics: 7. When quantum mechanics and relativity collide
8. Group theory and relativity
9. Supersymmetry and superspace
10. Looking onward
Appendix 1. Where do equations of motion come from?
Appendix 2. Basic group theory
Appendix 3. Lie groups and Lie algebras
Appendix 4. The structure of super Lie algebras
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Relativity physics [PHR], Quantum physics [quantum mechanics & quantum field theory PHQ], Physics [PH]